Having followed the Atkins Diet for over 30 years, my experiences and blood test results, all of which I have kept, provide positive evidence that far outweighs a biased opinion based on reading about a diet yet never actually trying it and experiencing the benefits, like those who criticize homeopathy but never took a remedy.
I finally found a copy of Dr. Bernstein's diabetes diet book, the one you say you follow. While no bookstore had it, I tried five, Vitamin Shoppe had it in their lending library. I was expecting something radical, as you said he recommends keeping blood glucose below 90. I didn't find him pushing that as a goal. He recommends a carb diet of 6 grams breakfast, 12 lunch, 12 dinner, basically Atkins level two. Bernstein is type 1 diabetic, not from autoimmune reasons, he became after being type 2. That's because he's consistently eating too many carbs for himself, never reaching ketosis and he burnt out his pancreas. DUH! His list of foods looks like he copied it directly from Atkins' books. It's not a bad book for a beginner without severe blood sugar disturbances with some interesting vitamin suggestions, but it comes way too late in the diabetes progression cycle for prevention or avoiding the complications both he and you have experienced by not eliminating carbs before diabetes. Even his strenuous running daily exercise did not prevent his fall into diabetes type 1. That's because you need to do con stant exercise to maintain the blood glucose lowering effects, impractical for many people and I haven't found it being able to offset the ingestion of too many carbs for your own metabolism.
By following Atkins, geared for weight loss in the induction phase with blood sugar regulation in all phases, you determine your own personal carb level of tolerance by testing for urine ketones. If diabetic, you can add the urine glucose test strips to see what amount and type of carbs bring you to spill sugar in the urine. Using the combo Keto-Diastix you can test urine for both on one strip. Having a high blood glucose reading doesn't always translate to a high urine glucose one, depends on type of carbs eaten.
You have incorrectly categorized the Atkins Diet as a high protein one, like Drs, Eades' Protein Power diet. Atkins is a high fat diet, preferably saturated fat, which research shows is quite healthy and necessary, like in your brain. Fat consumpiton achieves ketosis, not protein. The amount of protein is not recommended, you can eat none, all fat, with just no then low carb. The same amount of protein you eat in the menu you previously provided can be maintained on Atkins. If you don't want to eat red meat, you can eat all fish. When I want to get back into ketosis fast, I eat Brie cheese or a fatty steak. High protein/low fat fish and chicken do not work as well for me initially though I can maintain ketosis with these.
Another miscategorization you make of Atkins as inflammatory. Unless one has tested their cardio CRP, c-reactive protein, one does not know how much inflammation they have and once they do, the cause. Meanwhile, the majority of the inflammation problems being tallied are from those not on the Atkins Diet, so there are many other reasons one has inflammation like a high carb diet. I'm finding diet change to no sat fat is not making much inflammation difference upon a CRP retest along with aspirin. Abdominal fat, the most dangerous, emits cytokeines that promote inflammation. I have obtained an unlimited supply of Crestor, the statin drug, whose recent research shows a 50% decrease in CRP inflammation for those with normal to low cholesterol. Since I fit that category with a 164 CHOL, I'm going to try a month+ test to see if my CRP levels come down as that is more important than the side effects.
As I've discussed previously, the Atkins Diet and ketosis, allows you to eat freely, without caloric restriction and timing, as you progress longer in ketosis and lose your hunger, you eventually eat much less and often, both which research shows are anti-aging and longevity promoting aspects. Once I'm on the diet, a breakfast of eggs, butter, cheese and sausage assuage my hunger all day and keep blood glucose levels low.
Dr. Atkins, like Hahnemann, must have done something right. His diet books after 30 years, ranks #2 in sales for the last 15 years, beating ALL Harry Potter books except one.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news ... ooks_n.htm
Quite a feat for such a "dangerous" diet!
Susan